Awards & Exhibitions

While my main focus is painting murals, I do find time to paint on canvas, apply for exhibits, and create digital artwork. I truly find peace and joy in being able to create, regardless of the medium. Here are some awards I’ve won and exhibits I’ve participated in since becoming a professional artist.

About the exhibit: Survival instincts are rooted deep in the psyche of most living beings. Using elements of trompe l’oeil in each painting, I hope to bring viewers in to take a closer look at what is trying to survive, what the cost of survival might be, and to invoke empathy for those facing these struggles.

About the exhibit: I was assigned Pamperin Cigar Company’s Black Rose Cigar Box. Mercedes Fowler, a student historian, gathered a vast amount of history for me related to this box. I created a trompe l’oeil shadow box painting to incorporate about 20 historically significant elements and show the box composition. Due to my firm anti-tobacco stance, I incorporated the word “cancer” vertically into the smoke.

This non-juried exhibit was open to all aspiring artists, and artwork was required to fit within one square foot. Having never painted on canvas before, I created a triptych following the lives of the lady slipper orchid and tiger swallowtail butterfly. I was delighted to receive a ribbon for this artwork with the flower and chrysalis, titled “Transformation.”